


Service With a Smile

by Alexilulu



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Personas (Persona Series), Blow Jobs, Coffee Family With Bonus Girl, Developing Relationship, F/M, Found Family, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, References to Depression, Sex Work, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-08-26 07:42:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16677433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alexilulu/pseuds/Alexilulu
Summary: Akira keeps making strange phone calls right before Sojiro leaves, and he's getting suspicious. Just what does a kid need with a land line, anyway?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been sitting on this idea for MONTHS and naturally the first time I get to sit down, relaxed, and write whatever i want i pour out almost 8k of my favorite Persona 5 character being validated by the sweetest man in the cast.

The first time Akira uses the landline phone, Sojiro gives him a look but ignores it. He knows he saw the kid tapping away at his phone 10 minutes ago when he walked in the shop, so why the hell does he need to use that old thing? Figuring that he’s calling for a pizza or something, Sojiro leaves not long after. Not like there’s a late night coffee crowd, anyway.

The second time Akira uses the landline phone, Sojiro starts to get suspicious. What in the hell is he using that old thing for? The only reason it’s still even there is for customers, you have to put 50 yen in to even use it. Sojiro lingers a little bit longer, trying to catch any of what Akira says into the receiver, but the sound of the espresso machine as he pulls a shot for the kid is too loud to make out anything. Maybe he should take up lip reading.

The third time…

“Okay, I gotta know. Kid, you have a phone.” Sojiro leans on his elbows on the bar next to the phone. Akira pauses with the handset halfway to his ear, jingling a pile of 10 yen coins he was ready to feed into it.

“Yeah.” Akira’s expression is carefully composed to neutrality, but Sojiro watches his lips twitch and knows he’s onto something. The kid may not say much around him, but he says enough to spot his tells.

“Afraid of a phone call showing up on your parents statement? One they wouldn’t be too pleased to see, after everything that’s gone down?” Saying it doesn’t make him happy, and neither does the slight frown Akira adopts.

“...No. I just…” Akira groans. “It’s complicated.”

“Alright, alright. This isn’t an interrogation, and I’m not your dad.” Sojiro straightens up, holding his hands in front of him. “Keep your secret. I’m gonna lock up for the night, okay? Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.” Sojiro takes his apron off, laying it across the bar and heading for the door. “Got it?”

“Got it.” Akira nods. Sojiro pats him on the shoulder as he passes, flipping the sign to closed and heading outside. Just as the door swings shut, Sojiro catches the barest hint of Akira’s voice. He can faintly make out the name Becky before the lock snaps shut.

“Becky.”

Becky? He’s not making overseas calls, is he? No, that’s ridiculous. He’d be burning a lot more yen that way than he has. Then...

...Hoo boy.

It doesn’t take a genius to dial 1361 the next morning, once Akira’s off to class.

“Thank you for calling! This is Victoria’s Housekeeping! Can I help provide you with superior cleaning services from one of our top-flight delivery maids?” Sojiro resists the urge to shout in surprise when the line picks up immediately, the woman on the other side of the line doing her best sultry voice.

“Yes, I have some questions about your service. What exactly do your maids do and not do?”

“Why, anything you ask, of course. Within reason. Sweeping, mopping, picking up trash, cleaning, and even cooking and washing clothes. Victoria’s Housekeeping maids are trained in a variety of  _ health _ services  _ delivered _ straight to your door.”

Ah. Delivery health, there it is. Sojiro pinches the bridge of his nose to quell the oncoming headache he can already feel brewing. Maybe this is his fault. He didn’t say to  _ not _ hire call girls when Akira is alone in the cafe. ‘Don’t do anything I wouldn’t’ assumes that you think anything about the person who’s saying it, after all. Is this how kids these days are, now? Sojiro can’t tell, anymore, especially with how tight-lipped Akira is. Between him and Futaba, Sojiro’s got his hands full figuring out what they need, let alone what they’re thinking at any given time.

“Right, right. Can you…” He looks up, realizing that his only customer of the day has already left, leaving quite the mess in his booth. “Can you send Becky by…” He rattles off the address to LeBlanc while he leans over towards the door, flipping the sign to CLOSED.

“My sincerest apologies, sir, but Becky isn’t available until evening. Would you like me to send another girl by? We have quite the selection of maids, all of whom are at your disposal for  _ anything _ that you need.”

“No, no. Can I reserve her ahead of time? As soon as she’s available, send her over.”

“Of course, sir. Should I pass along a message to go with the request?”

“No, no. Just...whenever you can get ahold of her.”

“I hope you enjoy your services, sir. Have a good day.” The line goes dead and Sojiro lets out the loudest possible sigh.

What in the hell is he getting himself into? Pulling his phone from his pocket, he wrestles with it until he gets the messaging app open and texts Akira.

**Don’t come by Leblanc tonight. We’re closed for some quick equipment upgrades. The key to my house is under the mat, sleep on the couch. I’ll order you a big pizza for your trouble.**

Sighing, Sojiro stuffs his phone back in his apron pocket and goes to pull himself another doubleshot espresso. He’s got a long afternoon ahead of him.

* * *

She gets here just after twilight.

“Hello? Kurusu, I’m here. Not that I don’t appreciate the extra money, but requesting me while you’re still in class is a bit much…” The call girl leans into the cafe, propping the door half-open. Sojiro stands behind the bar, sipping at his fifth cup of coffee today. He gives her a small wave, and all the blood drains from this poor girl’s face. “Oh. I think I have the wrong address.”

“No, you’re in the right place. Come in, please. We need to talk about the boy.” Sojiro sets his cup down, and the girl seems to get the picture, stepping fully inside and closing the door behind her. Only then, now that she’s fully lit, does Sojiro place where the voice seems familiar from. “Wait...You’re his teacher. Kawakami, right? I didn’t recognize you with the...” Sojiro gestures over his head to indicate the pigtails. 

“God, please kill me.” She reaches up, taking hold of one and yanking it upwards until the maid headband and wig pull away, using her other hand to shake out the more familiar curly mess of her auburn hair that it had hidden. “Look, I can explain.”

“C’mon, have a seat. You want coffee?”

“...I guess.” Sadayo sighs, sliding into one of the booths and leaving her wig in a splayed-out mess on the tabletop. “Doubleshot.”

“Got it.” Sojiro pulls two shots and takes his cup along with him to the table. Sadayo sweeps the wig out of the way for him to set the coffee down, and takes a big drink immediately. “Like it?”

“It’s good.” Sadayo sighs. “Could use a big glug of whiskey with it, but I get the feeling that’s not on the menu.” Her eyebrows shoot up when Sojiro gets back up, slipping behind the bar and emerging with a fifth of aged Suntory, setting it down on the table. “Wow.” She takes another sip of her coffee and makes up the deficit with a generous glug of whiskey right into the cup. Setting the bottle down, she makes a face. “This is so ridiculous. You busted me, and you’re giving me whiskey?”

Sojiro shrugs. “I’m not here to judge, Ms. Kawakami. I just wanna know what in the hell’s going on.”

“C’mon, you can just call me Sadayo. We’re way past honorifics.” She takes a sip of her whiskey-laced coffee, nodding appreciatively. “Well, it’s a long story. Does he know you know?”

“Probably not. He’s sleeping on my couch tonight with a belly full of pizza. Probably thinks it’s a reward for good behavior.” Sojiro takes the bottle of Suntory, pouring some into his own cup. Why the hell not? This is already ridiculous, why not get tipsy too.

“So…” She rests her chin in her hand, humming. “Fuck it. I’m up to my nose in debt, have to make payments every week. Teaching doesn’t cut it, so I took a side job.”

“Hell of a side job. Loan sharks?” Sojiro takes a sip of his coffee, cutting off his blooming smile at the knees. Not the right context.

“...Sort of. Somehow, dunno how, Akira found a flyer, called us up, and…” Sadayo shrugs. “Just my luck that my problem student would find out something like that. He’s keeping the secret, just like I’m keeping his secret in return.” She finishes her coffee, grimacing. “For the record, I don’t touch him.”

“Never said you did.” Sojiro was  _ worried  _ at first, sure. Now, though, he’s more worried for Sadayo than Akira. “So. What exactly do you do for him, then?”

“Honestly? Pretend to clean his room, do his laundry. Talk, mostly. The kid...he’s bottled up, I think. Can’t express himself, for whatever reason.” She shrugs. “He talks a little, he pays me, I leave. Dunno where he gets 5000 yen a visit to pay for it, but...yeah. Damn sure better than whatever twisted shit I get asked to do by the real clients.”

“Sympathies.” Sojiro leans forward, pouring straight whiskey into her cup and raising his. She clinks it with the beginnings of a smile, downing the entire cup like it’s a shot. “They teach you how to drink like that for your teaching degree?”

That gets a laugh out of her. “Yeah, the courseload’ll drive you to drink as fast as your students will.” She sighs, setting her cup down.

“You think that’s bad? Try theoretical physics.” Sojiro finishes his drink, pouring himself another and drinking it with a smile.

“Oh my god. I knew it!” Sadayo wags a finger at him, laughing. “Only a STEM major could make coffee this good, I knew it. I tried to be a barista when I was in school, but I couldn’t brew coffee to save my life. Everybody else in my class? Same thing. The coffee machine in the student lounge was off limits to Humanities majors. They had a sign.”

“I probably put it there, back in my day.”

“Yeah, it looked pretty old.” Sadayo slaps both hands over her mouth in shock when she realizes what she’s said. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t—”

Sojiro laughs, throwing his head back. “Don’t apologize, you got me! Jeez, you get old and suddenly nobody wants to talk back about you.” He wipes his eye, chuckling under his breath.

Sadayo relaxes, but starts talking with her hands instead, making gestures Sojiro can’t even begin to guess the meaning of. “I swear I’m not like this, usually. I just, I’m nervous, and you gave me liquor, and the heaviest thing I’ve eaten all day was a can of miso soup for lunch.” She yelps when Sojiro stands up. “Oh god, please don’t throw me out.”

“Nobody’s getting thrown out of anywhere, I’m just grabbing something. Stay right there.” Sojiro crosses to the kitchen, flicking the burner from low up to high and giving the curry a good stir for a few seconds before ladling out a generous portion onto a bed of rice and returning, setting it down in front of a thoroughly shocked Sadayo. “The rice isn’t fresh, so you’ll have to forgive me.”

“Wh...I can’t. Come on, you—” Sadayo starts to protest.

Sojiro holds up a finger. “Eat, or I’ll feel bad for accidentally plying you with liquor on a school night and leaving you with a hangover.” He sits down across from her, smiling softly, and she looks from the plate to him probably a dozen times before picking up the spoon he’s provided and wolfing down a huge bite. 

This is his favorite part, honestly. Watching people process the flavors of his curry, or his coffee, for the first time. The bloom of surprise at the hit of spice at the front, melting into warmth as the hints of chocolate and coffee cut through it and leave you feeling just right. Potatoes to further cut the spice from apocalyptic (his preference) to a more manageable level for everyone else, carrots both for color and a half-decent vegetable, and beef for a crisped, just-right amount of protein. He spent months working on this in his spare time. Years, even. Even got help from the strangest places, like Wakaba. All for that little moment of soothing joy for the people he gets to watch eat it. “Like it?”

Sadayo sighs with relief. “Incredible. I’d always wondered what your food was like, coming through here, but...wow. The smell is only half the story.” She devours bite after bite, manners only barely observed.

“I’m glad.” Sojiro leans his chin in his hand, watching her eat and thinking about where this is going to go. Mentally reviewing his finances, the cost of business and just how nice it would be to get to take a day off once in a while. “So. I have a proposal.” Sadayo looks up, eyebrow raised as she chews on a mouthful of food. “I’m not here to judge, and I don’t wanna know any details if you’re not gonna talk about it. But your tone earlier talking about your side work seemed decidedly negative. And, I have some money burning a hole in my pocket. Paid my mortgage a decade ago, all it costs me to keep this cafe open is expenses and pay.”

“Are you...offering me a job?” Sadayo sets down her spoon, raising an eyebrow. “I need a lot more than you can probably pay me, Sojiro. My...they’re not letting this debt go easily.”

“I’m sure they aren’t, crooks never do. We can worry about that later, though.” Sojiro leans back, crossing his arms. “Name a price.”

“200,000 yen a week.” Sadayo says, looking down at her plate. “I can only work a few nights a week without causing problems with my day job, but the prices for more than just talk are high enough that I squeak by okay. They’ve been talking about increasing the interest, though.”

Sojiro nods. “I understand. You should finish eating, I’ll just be a second.” Sojiro stands, crossing behind the bar and opening the safe under the bar. He returns to the table with 300,000 yen in two thick stacks of 10,000 yen bills, still fresh in their currency bands from the bank. When she sees them sitting on the table next to her wig, Sadayo’s jaw drops, as does the spoon in her hands. She looks up at Sojiro, searching his face for any sign of duplicity and becoming shocked when she doesn’t find any.

“You can’t. That’s...I...” Sadayo looks from the money on the table to Sojiro and back, tears welling in her eyes.

“I can. Whenever you have time, come by after class, and I’ll teach you how to make everything we sell.” He points to the only sign in the shop, listing a plate of curry and a cup of coffee for 800 yen. “It’s a pretty short list.” He smiles. “And you can leave the maid uniform at home.”

“...Why?” Sadayo’s voice breaks, swallowing a lump in her throat.

“Because you treat Akira like he should be treated. Because I can tell you’re being taken advantage of. Because I’m an old man with more money than I could ever do anything with, who gets more every month from patents I barely remember anymore, and I don’t see the point in hoarding it. Especially when it can give someone who deserves it a chance to turn things around.” Sojiro scratches the back of his neck, suddenly embarrassed. “And because you made me laugh. Don’t get that very often around here.” Sadayo is out of the booth in a flash, wrapping her arms around his chest and hugging him with such force he thought she’d broken one of his ribs for a moment. Hesitantly, he hugs her back with one arm, the other pinned by her arms. She sobs once, his shirt wet with tears from her face pressed to it. They remain like that for what feels like eternity, held in place by her fistfuls of his shirt. Not that he cares, really. Just being there for someone who needs it, in his book.

“Thank you.” Sadayo says between hiccups, recovering herself and wiping her face with a hand. “You don’t...thank you. Thank you isn’t enough, honestly.”

“Well, we’ll worry about that some other time. You should get out of here. Take the night off, relax.” Sojiro pats her on the shoulder, smiling. “I’ll see you when I see you.”

“Right.” Sadayo turns away from him, picking up her wig and the stack of money and shoving it in her bag. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Sojiro walks her the few meager feet to the door. For whatever reason, he finds himself trying to concoct some reason for her to stay just a few more minutes. Just one more drink, maybe. To his surprise, she spins in place, grabbing him by the lapels and kissing him. In his surprise, he has no chance to reciprocate before her tongue slips back out of his mouth and she releases him. “See you when I see you!” And just as quickly, she’s gone again, disappearing out into the Tokyo night with the jingle of the door behind her.

* * *

Sojiro doesn’t see her for a few days. Akira doesn’t say a word one way or the other except for greetings and thanking Sojiro for breakfast and dinner. He doesn’t call the ‘maid’ service anymore in the intervening days, either.

She comes on a Saturday, just after the last of his regulars leave. Pushing open the door, she smiles sheepishly and steps inside. Sojiro smiles, waving and setting down the cup he was drying off.

“You’re just in time. C’mere.” He beckons over to the bar, and Sadayo heads around it, abandoning her bag in one of the booths. “Here, put this on.” He holds up a brand new apron bought the day after their late-night talk, a much less faded shade of green than his.

“Not the first time I’ve heard that one.” Sadayo quips, pulling the neck loop over her head and tying it into place. “There. The picture of a coffee snob.” She puffs her not-inconsiderable chest out, and he chuckles.

“Oh, you’re not there yet. Give it a few weeks around me, I’ll have you complaining about bad roasts in no time.” Sojiro smiles, moving over to the espresso machine. “Ever used one of these?”

“Nope. I lasted like, a day trying to be a barista. You may have wasted a ton of money, Sojiro.”

“Oh, hush, it’s not a waste. I’ll go through what you do, slow, and you’ll get to taste everything.”

“I’m not sleeping tonight.” Sadayo sighs, folding her arms across her chest and stepping closer to get a better look as Sojiro touches various parts of the espresso maker. Her side is pressed very lightly, just ever so slightly into his the whole way through the explanation. Sojiro doesn’t dare move an inch. Suspects that if he did, she would simply follow. Instead, he learns to enjoy it, passing her a cup of espresso and watching her taste it.

“So?”

“Needs whiskey.” She grins when Sojiro rolls his eyes, leaning just a little harder against him. “Nah, it’s great. A different league to everything else I drink, definitely.”

“Great. Now you do it.” He sets more of the same grind he just used next to the espresso machine. “The only way to learn this is to do it. Trust me.” Sadayo looks from the machine to him and his deadpan expression and passes him the rest of the cup.

“...Shit, alright. Can’t go as badly as my first blowjob.” Sojiro sputters on the coffee he was trying to finish off, gagging. “Oh my god, I’m sorry, I’m s—” She stops apologizing when Sojiro cackles, holding his chest and wheezing with laughter. “Dirty old bastard, you think that’s funny?” He laughs harder when she thumps him on the shoulder with a hand.

“I’m ho—” Sojiro recovers almost instantaneously once he hears the chime of the door, Akira standing halfway inside with a look of utter shock. “...me.”

“Ah, shit. I forgot to tell him.” Sojiro straightens up, coughing. “Akira, come here. We’ve got something to go over with you.” Akira steps inside, watching Sojiro and Sadayo behind the bar as he steps up to it and sits down. “So…”

“You found out.” Akira says in a small voice, looking down at his hands on the bar.

“You’re not in trouble, Akira.” Sadayo cuts in, standing on the other side of Akira so they both flank him from across the bar. 

“I’m not?” Akira looks from Sojiro to Sadayo in shock, turning back to Sojiro when he speaks.

“No.” Sojiro shakes his head. “I was worried you might be caught up in something, so I did some digging, and...well.”

“Maid’s out of the bag?” Sadayo offers.

“Something like that.” Sojiro smiles. “It was very kind of you to try to help Ms. Kawakami, Akira.” Sojiro notices her mouth her own name to him, and he nods. “We talked, and I’ve decided that I need some more help around here, and Sadayo offered to step into that role. So she’s going to be helping me here from time to time.”

“Right.” Sadayo nods for emphasis.

“What about me? I...helped, sometimes.” He looks to the stairs, where his apron is draped over the bannister.

“You’re not fired, kid. I just don’t want to ask too much of you, you got your own life. This just happened to work out. So. No more Victoria’s Housekeeping, and Sadayo helps out here. If you ever want to talk to her, you just have to call her for real, okay?”

Akira nods. “Okay.”

“Great. Do you want to help teach Sadayo her way around the espresso machine? We can split taste testing three ways, so nobody has to get a sleepless night from all the caffeine. Hell, show her how it’s done one more time, I want to see how much you remember.”

“Sure.” Akira stands, putting his bag next to Sadayo’s in one of the booths and grabbing his apron. “So, once the beans are ground…” Akira murmurs to himself as he walks through the process, Sojiro and Sadayo standing behind him and watching. Somewhere in Akira’s demonstration, Sadayo’s hand slips into his palm, squeezing gently until Akira turns back with the finished cup of espresso. When she takes a drink from it, she doesn’t take her eyes off Sojiro.

* * *

Weeks pass. Sadayo comes by a few afternoons a week, and even gets the opportunity to serve customers during some of them. She takes quicker to the curry than the coffee, but grows increasingly proficient over many long nights. And always, every time she sees Sojiro, she finds some way to touch him, even in the most innocent ways. Standing hip to hip as she watches him pour a shot, leaning her cheek on his shoulder for just a moment when her day job’s fatigue gets to her in the evening. Always where Akira can’t see. Holding his hand when Akira’s back is turned.

They don’t talk about the kiss, even when they’re alone together. Sojiro thinks about it almost every night, though.

Akira, for his part, is beginning to come out of his shell in a way that Sojiro never imagined. The sullen, silent boy he’s watched over for nearly 3 months is showing signs of life at last. He smiles when Sadayo tells an off-color joke and Sojiro laughs, and Sojiro has gotten more than a few chuckles out of him in their lessons together. It’s enough to give him hope for Futaba, honestly. He talks in more than monosyllables now, and told a joke last week. He even eventually professes that he wants to stay the night at a friend’s house. Ryuji Sakamoto, from what Sojiro understands from Sadayo and Akira’s own stories, is his closest friend at school, a bleached blonde former jock. He’s been by once or maybe twice, and Sojiro can’t find anything wrong with the kid. Sadayo’s only complaint about the boy is that he is very inconsistent about handing in homework or paying attention in class.

“Alright. You’ve got everything you need?” Sojiro stands at the door with Sadayo at his side, ready to usher Akira off. “Clothes, underwear, toiletries?”

“I’ve got it. Anything I don’t have, I can buy.” Akira hoists the overnight bag over his shoulder, his normal bag holding Morgana hanging from the opposite arm.

“Right, right. Well...have a good time, then. I’ll see you Monday night.” Sojiro steps out of the way, opening the door wide.

“Good night, you two.” Akira says, nodding as he passes between the two adults and out of the cafe. Sojiro closes the door, repressing a sigh. Having one nonverbal kid was bad enough, having a second very slowly start to recover is exhausting. Sadayo walks over to him, flipping the door’s sign to CLOSED for Sojiro.

“Well, that’s a Saturday night well spent.” Sadayo leans against the wall next to him, smiling softly. “You worry about him too much.”

“Not enough, if you ask me.” Sojiro gripes, folding his arms across his chest. “He’s at an age where bad ideas seem just as great as good ones.”

“C’mon.” Sadayo takes his hand where he’s folded it, pulling it out and doing the same with the other. “You old fart, he’s gonna be fine. It’s a sleepover! He’s gonna watch a movie, eat crap junk food and go to bed as the sun is coming up.” She takes one of his hands now that it’s free, holding it tightly. “What do you do for fun? Let’s get your mind off the poor kid and find something else to focus on.”

“Read the paper, listen to the TV news.”

“Oh my god, you’re terrible. Movies. Do you like movies? We can go watch a movie.”

“Alright, where?”

“Your house. You live around here, right?” Her other hand creeps up to his cheek, fingertips parting his beard and cupping his jaw.

“Now, hang on.” He pauses, thinking about what Akira said as he left. ‘You two.’ In the time it takes him to realize what Akira may have been much smarter than Sojiro about what was about to happen, Sadayo kisses him for the first time since their meeting. This time, he has the presence of mind to reciprocate, pulling her tighter to his body and chasing this heart-pounding feeling he hasn’t felt in years. His hand slips under the hem of her shirt, hitching it up as he explores the planes of her back. She giggles against his mouth, grinning as his hand finds the band of her bra.

“I knew it. Ladykiller, you gonna undo that one handed?”

“Try me.” He responds to the jibe automatically, gripping one side of the hooks and tugging this way and that. Sadayo grins wider, kissing his jaw. “This was easier when I was younger.”

“Mm-hmm. How about we leave it and adjourn to somewhere nicer?” Sadayo kisses Sojiro again and he lets his hand fall, cupping her hip instead. “Atta boy.”

“I really could do that before, you know.” Sojiro murmurs as Sadayo leads him outside, only barely remembering to flick the lightswitch off on his way out. “Hang on, I have to lock up.” When he turns away, Sadayo leans against his back, pressing herself to him and wrapping arms around his waist. “Clingy little thing, aren’t you?”

“Oh please, you’ve been dying for the last month about it.” Sadayo releases him and takes his hand when he turns back.

“You’re really okay with this?” Sojiro starts down the streets, more than a little surprised by how empty the streets are on a Saturday night. “With me.”

“Sojiro.” Sadayo stops, and Sojiro turns to her, their hands still connected. “Come on, give yourself a little credit.” She holds up her free hand, counting off on her fingers. “You’re a gentleman, you’re kind, you can cook, you take care of yourself, and lastly, I’m not blind.”

“What the hell does that even mean? I—” Sojiro starts, until Sadayo places a finger on his lips.

“Shh. I want this.” She frowns. “If you don’t want to, I get it. Just tell me now before I have to put my bra back on and take the last train home.”

“Hey, no.” Sojiro touches her chin, lifting her face up to his. Thinks about all the times Sadayo has made her interest crystal clear with the benefit of hindsight to make up for his blindness. “I want this, too. More than I realized I did.” He kisses her, losing himself in the moment until he gets the sudden, distinct feeling they’re being watched. Opening his eyes, he can see one of his regulars standing at the street corner ahead of them, leaning on his cane with both hands. This man, easily old enough to be Sojiro’s father, raises up a hand and gives Sojiro a thumbs up. And just like that, he turns and walks off towards the train station.

“You okay?” Sadayo says, leaning against him. “You stopped.”

“Sorry, it’s nothing. Thought I locked my keys in the store for a second. Come on, let’s go. Making out on a street is for kids, anyway.” Sojiro leads the way down to his home.

“Oh, cute.” Sadayo murmurs when Sojiro opens the gate for her, letting her walk in first.

“Me, or the house?”

“Both.”

Sojiro snorts, shaking his head. “Okay. Look, I have to tell you something. I have a foster daughter.”

“You have  _ two  _ kids?”

“Right. Akira’s special, but Futaba...she’s fragile. Her mother died 2 years ago, and I’ve looked after her since. She doesn’t leave her room much anymore.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for. I just wanted you to know, if I ask you to keep it down, it’s for her sake, nothing else. I’m not embarrassed, or hiding anything, or what have you.”

“You just don’t want your daughter to know her dad fucks. I get it.” Sadayo grins mischievously. “If I have anything to say about it, though, you’re gonna be the one who’s too loud tonight.”

“O-oh.” Sojiro laughs, but falters when Sadayo’s utterly serious look doesn’t change. “That’s...okay.” 

“It’ll be a lot more than okay. Come on.” She tugs hims over to the door. “I’m horny as hell and your waffling is killing me.”

Sojiro leads her inside, stepping lightly as they pass Futaba’s door on the first floor and head up the stairs. Sadayo pulls him into another long kiss on the landing, pressing him against the wall and clinging to him by his collar. Everything about her is so unbelievably beautiful, Sojiro realizes when they part. The way she smiles right before she’s about to say some bawdy joke, the glitter in her eyes when she’s about to unleash said joke on him. The faint moonlight from outside pouring through a window over her just highlights everything about her that is perfect in his eyes. The look of utter need she’s fixing him with now, the way her lips part when she breaks the kiss, almost disappointed by the need for air.

Pushing the door into his bedroom open, he leads her to the bed and sits down. Instantly she hikes up her skirt and slides into his lap like she belongs there, straddling him and kissing his throat. “Take my bra off.” Sadayo whispers against his skin, her voice dark. He obliges, slipping both hands under her shirt and sliding them slowly up her flanks. She groans low in her throat at Sojiro’s teasing touch. “Fuck. You really know how to fluster a girl.”

“Sorry. Old habits die hard.” Sojiro unhooks the bra with ease now that he’s got two hands for the job, leaning back to let Sadayo pull her shirt off. Once it’s gone and cast down on the floor of his bedroom, he can’t take his eyes off of her. God, what the hell made him so lucky? “...Wow.”

“Like what you see?” Sadayo grins and takes his hand, dragging it up her side and placing his palm over her breast. “C’mon, you were so excited to touch me a second ago.” Her eyelids flutter when he rolls his palm, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. “God, you’re good with your hands, huh.”

“You could say that.” His other hand slips down to her ass, giving it a light squeeze as well. He kisses her again, rejoicing every time her breath hitches or she curses against his mouth. He’s never felt happier to get cursed out by such a beautiful woman before. In between kisses, she undoes his shirt button by button, pressing a hand to the hair in his chest and digging fingernails in whenever he makes her react with his hand. 

“You gotta be hard, right? I’m dying here.” Sadayo says when she pushes him back just slightly, rubbing her ass against his lap. Sojiro grunts a reply, extremely aware of how badly he wants more from her. “Ooh, there we are. Okay, take off your pants.” She climbs out of his lap,  kneeling between his legs and unbuttoning his fly. “Oho, nice.” She tugs his pants down, rubbing his cock through his underwear and giggling.

“What exactly is so funny?”

“Oh, nothing. You think a lot of things about somebody, but you don’t think about the size of their dick until  _ bam _ , there it is.” Sadayo pulls his boxers down, too, and runs a finger along the bottom of Sojiro’s cock until it’s standing at attention. “Makes a certain sort of sense, though, doesn’t it? The swagger, the casual mood 24/7. You could probably wear a hawaiian shirt all day and not even feel guilty while you’re packing this thing.”

“Oh my god.” Sojiro covers his face with one hand, and Sadayo laughs. “I thought you were horny, what happened to that? Can we go back to horny and cut the corny?”

“Killjoy.” Sadayo grins, giving his cock few slow pumps that make his stomach do a flip. “Alright, you want horny? You asked for it.”

She starts with her tongue, teasing the head of his cock with a long lick from bottom to top. Just the barest graze of her lips after that is enough to make him swear under his breath. When she takes him into her mouth and swirls that tongue again, he has to clap a hand over his mouth to keep from groaning loud enough for Futaba to hear. Sadayo looks infinitely pleased with herself as she pulls back, running her tongue up the same track her finger followed earlier.

“I warned you…” She says, her voice husky. She keeps stroking his cock, his head pressed to her cheek.  “You want more, or the real show?” Sojiro grits his teeth, weighing his options.

“As much as I want to enjoy this forever, I’m right there with you on the ‘dying’ thing you mentioned earlier.”

“Well, there’s always next time.” Sadayo stands, letting her skirt and panties drop to the floor. She walks back to the door, digging through her bag before crawling into his lap and pushing him onto his back. “I’ll keep my thank you short, then.” She tears the condom open in her other hand with her teeth, rolling it gently onto his cock and plucking the tip to make sure it stays in place. “You ready?”

“Hell no. Go for it.” Sojiro puts a hand over hers on his chest, smiling. Shit, he really must be the luckiest guy over 50 in Tokyo right now. Watching her lower herself onto him, her expression drops from confidence to contorting as his cock fills her up...whew. She manages to get all the way down, letting out a shaky breath and smiling for him. “Okay?”

“Not my first time on one of these, Sojiro.” She chuckles. “A little more harrowing, maybe. You gonna be okay if I take it slow?”

“Do what you have to, darling.” The redness of her face deepens just a little bit in the dim room. “What,  _ that _ got you?”

“Pet names aren’t exactly something I’m used to, okay?” Sadayo rolls her hips forward, grunting. “This whole ‘fucking with strings attached’ hasn’t been my thing for awhile.” She pauses, rolling backwards. “Fuck. I think I like it.”

“Me, or feeling something about the person you’re fucking?” Sojiro grunts, breathing hard.

“Both, duh. God damn, you’re killing me.” Sadayo starts moving faster, rolling herself forward until her eyelids flutter shut. “Oh, fuck, there we go.” She keeps moving in that same direction, her legs shuddering under her every time she hits that same spot. “Yyyyyeah, I could get used to this. Fuck, Sojiro.” She leans harder on his chest, moving his cock in short strokes and circular motions inside her. “I can’t believe you. Fuck.”

He’s barely hanging on as it is, panting and swearing under his breath. She’s got him like a vise, turning his stomach to jelly more and more with every stroke. “Fuck, Sadayo, I’m done, I’m gonna come.” He barks out, clutching her hand for dear life.

“Lets see what you got, then. I’ll make sure you never forget tonight, okay? Just hang on.” And just like that, Sadayo totally shifts her stance, pulling away and hanging onto his hand for balance, leaning as far away from him as she can go. From there, she slides herself up his entire length, coming back down with an impact that jars all thought from his head. And then she does it again, and again. She batters everything out of his head except the unbelievable feeling they’re sharing, both of them moving and cursing freely and begging for release until Sojiro comes, swearing and swearing and swearing the whole time until he feels wrung out and so very tired. Sadayo clambers off of him, swearing quietly to herself and pulling the condom off of him.

“What?” Sojiro sits up on an elbow, rolling over to face her.

“Nothing, nothing.” She ties off the condom and tosses it in the waste bin next to the bed, sighing. “I didn’t come yet.”

“Well, we can’t have that.” He sits up, kneeling on the bed between Sadayo’s legs. His legs are still wobbly as hell, but he’s not gonna back down now. Not for such an amazing lady.

“No, come on. This was a thank you, not— Okay, what’s that look for?”

“This is my thank you, then, for being so sweet to a guy like me.” Sadayo rolls her eyes, but she smiles anyway and rolls onto her back, spreading herself wide. “Thank you.” When he gets down on his elbows and closes his hands in front of his face for a moment, she laughs.

“Oh my god, which of us was complaining about the other being corny?” She cackles, propping herself up on an elbow to watch him slip his tongue into her pussy. “Mmm...Your hands aren’t the only thing you’re any good with, huh.” Sadayo sighs, relaxing back onto her back. A finger brushes the crown of his head, grabbing and releasing a thin lock of hair before rubbing around her clit instead. Flicking the back of her hand, he puts his hand up to block it and provides the same slow circular rolling. Somewhere above him, Sadayo giggles even as she arches herself up for him, giving him better access to her. “Fuck, Sojiro...Experience really does count…”

He snorts to himself, slipping a finger from his other hand into her and searching for that elusive spot she was so eager to stimulate. “They do say that. Where the hell is that s—” Sadayo’s reaction is immediate when he finds it, a full-body writhe complete with a shocked gasp of surprise she stifles immediately. “There you are.” He starts slowly, stimulating around it and then giving it just the faintest brush, just enough to make Sadayo stifle a moan. A few repetitions of that, and then he presses his hand over her clit and rubs for just a second, getting a growling whine buried deep in her throat for his trouble. He mixes it up once or twice, then does two or three of the same, just to keep her guessing.

“Fuck, Sojiro, you bastard. Please, stop fucking teasing me, I’m so  _ close _ …” Sadayo whines, rocking her hips in time with the movements of his fingers. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,  _ fuck _ …”

“Okay, okay. Sorry.” Sojiro strokes that sensitive spot inside her with two fingers, then flicks back across it again.

“Don’t apologize, just get me o— hnnnngh,  _ fuck,  _ do that again…” Sojiro grins, giving her exactly what she wants until her back arches, until she can’t even cover her mouth anymore, moaning freely as she’s pushed well over the edge by his fingers. She comes in waves, and Sojiro leaves his hand inside her until he’s sure she’s done, wiping it on the bedspread near the rest of the mess they’ve both made at the end of the bed. Not like he could have saved it from a trip to the laundromat down the street, but well, better keep it all in the same spot. He crawls back up the bed, laying down opposite Sadayo. She’s blissed out, eyes closed and a big smile on her lips.

“Well?” He says softly, leaning close to her. 

“Incredible.” She doesn’t move but to speak, and smiles wider when he kisses her softly. “Everything I imagined turned up about 10 times better than I thought it’d go.”

“Great. Can’t say I’d imagined it, but it sure as hell was something else.”

“What?” Sadayo opens her eyes, squinting at him suspiciously. “Come on, you’ve been giving me bedroom eyes for at least 2 weeks. You  _ never _ thought about having sex with me?”

“Maybe once, but, shit. It’s been years, I try not to get my hopes up anymore. Or tried, now, I guess.” He smiles. “I just thought you were a very sweet young woman, that’s all.”

“You’re the least horny man I’ve ever met. I can’t believe it.” She rolls over onto her side, shivering. “It’s fucking freezing in here. What do you wanna do now?”

“Well, it’s still dinner time. You want something to eat?” Sojiro offers, remaining in his spot.

“That sounds fantastic. You fuck me senseless and then cook me dinner? How the hell are you single?”

Sojiro chuckles. “Not anymore I’m not. But...honestly, it’s Saturday, I was just gonna order Chinese food.”

Sadayo snickers. “C’mon, your legs aren’t still wobbly, right? Or am I just that good?”

“I about face-planted into your crotch standing up earlier, darling.” Sojiro grins, and Sadayo cackles, covering her face.

“You can’t be calling me darling, I can’t deal with it!” She peeks out, watching Sojiro. “Were you serious, earlier? Not being single anymore?”

Sojiro sits up, shrugging. “Don’t see why not. You’re not planning on running away to escape the debt collectors, right?”

“No.” Sadayo sighs.

“Then I’ll be right here, whenever you need me.” He stands, balancing awkwardly until he straightens and searches for his pants. “I’m gonna go order dinner and see what we have to watch around here. I can’t promise anything recent, but I’m sure we’ll find something. Come down whenever you get your sea legs back.” Sojiro stands at the door, buttoning his shirt and watching Sadayo recline in the bed. Still, she looks as perfect as she did before, if not more.

“Hey.” Sadayo calls when he opens the door, so Sojiro turns back, halfway out the door. “Thank you. For everything.” Sojiro nods, smiling and humming to himself as he heads downstairs.

* * *

“Welcome home, kid.” Sojiro leans on the counter, swirling his coffee as Akira walks in the door. Morgana hops out of his bag, pacing around and meowing. “You remember to feed him all weekend?”

“Yeah. He’s just trying to con you into feeding him, too.” Morgana yowls when Akira calls his strategy out, running up the stairs at top speed. Akira sets his bags down at the foot of the stairs, sighing.

“Didja have a good time, then?” Sojiro straightens up, drinking the rest of his coffee and setting about brewing two cups. Setting one at the bar, Akira sits down where it’s placed.

“Yeah.” He takes the cup, sipping and nodding appreciatively. “Really good. What about you?”

“Me?” Sojiro grins and immediately suppresses it back into neutrality. “Well, it was fine. Nothing special. Watched a movie.”

“Mm.” Akira drinks again, watching Sojiro. “That’s not what Ms. Kawakami said.”

“Oh, really? What exactly did she say, then?”

“Nothing. Just that she’d be around more often, probably.” Akira shrugs. “Whatever that means.”

“Ah. Well. It is what it is.” Sojiro shrugs in turn, smiling. “That’s certainly true.”

“Are you seeing each other?” Akira shoots for the heart, fixing Sojiro in place with a look that says ‘don’t lie’.

“Yes.” Sojiro nods. “We’re an item, a thing, whatever kids say these days.”

“Okay.” Akira stands. “Should I...give you more room?”

“This is your house too, son. I’m not gonna start kicking you out because I have a girlfriend. You keep doing your thing, I’m going to keep doing mine.” Sojiro sets his coffee down, smiling as the door opens again. “Hey, darling.”

“Don’t call me that, I’m a mess right now…” Sadayo gripes, brushing hair out of her face and lugging a massive bag over to a booth. She dumps it there and sits down, digging through its depths for reading glasses and one of many sheafs of paper. “I’m gonna be grading papers for awhile, sorry. We’ve got midterms soon, and all the preliminary exams just came back.“

“No big deal. Akira, can you man the bar for awhile?” Sojiro takes off his apron, walking around the bar and sitting down opposite her with his cup of coffee. “And get the lady something to drink.”

“Got it.” Akira ducks behind the counter, pulling his apron on and starting the espresso maker. “Anything else?”

“We should have pastries, this is a cafe.” Sadayo sighs. “I can’t eat curry right now, if I get any on the sheets they’ll tear my ass apart at work. But I really want curry.”

“Two plates of curry, then. And feed yourself, too, kid. And the cat, if you have to.” Sojiro reclines in his seat, sighing appreciatively. “This is a good day.”

“It’ll be a good day once all these are graded and I don’t ever have to think about grading or reading these atrocious essays for another year.” Sadayo grumbles, accepting the coffee with a slight smile to Akira and taking a big sip. “Okay. I got this.” Sojiro smiles, folding his arms and watching Sadayo set about her work. This is what they both deserve to have. Just simple, relaxing normal lives. No debts, no criminal backgrounds, no strangeness. Just...this. An afternoon grading papers, brewing coffee and telling each other bad jokes.

This is the life they all deserve. A happy one.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be warned there's smut at the front. I really wanted to get Sadayo's perspective on how she feels about Sojiro, so i kept it and then segued hard but it's an important segue, okay???

“You know, we have to stop meeting like this.” Sadayo giggles when Sojiro meets her as she enters the cafe, bearing a cup of piping hot coffee and a brief kiss. She accepts it gratefully, taking a sip as she sits.

“Oh, hush.” Sojiro grins, sliding in next to her while she spreads out papers to grade across the table. “How was class?”

“Good. Nothing special, to be honest. Oh, before I forget, Akira said he’s staying the night at Sakamoto’s again.” It’s become increasingly obvious how much Akira adores the other boy. Though Sojiro may not have caught on to  _ that _ particular facet of their relationship quite yet.

“Again?” Sojiro sighs. “That kid spends as much time there as he does here.”

“He’s young, let him have some fun. Not like he’s had the easiest life, either.” Sadayo takes another sip of her coffee, humming appreciatively. “Thanks, by the way. How was work?”

“Same as it ever was.” Sojiro leans closer, his arm slipping onto the back of the seat behind Sadayo. “If he’s staying the night elsewhere…”

“Oh, is  _ that _ on your mind?” Sadayo leans back against him, pulling his arm around her shoulders. “I do have to work, you know.” Like she really cares. Besides, she’s always ready to make room in her schedule for Sojiro Time.

“I can sense a ‘but’ there.”

“The only butt here is eager and willing, mister. Just let me do my work tomorrow, alright?” Sadayo’s other hand falls onto his lap, slipping between his thighs and squeezing.

“Promise.” He leans over, trying to kiss her but only finds her cheek. “We should probably find somewhere more comfortable, though.”

“Ever had sex on a couch? It’s pretty fun.”

“As a matter of fact, I have. But we are  _ not _ having sex on the first floor. Futaba would hear everything.”

Sadayo groans, rolling her eyes where Sojiro can’t see. “Okay, what about the couch upstairs here? I’ve seen the stains, I bet it’s seen some action.”

“Too much action. Besides, Akira uses it.” Sojiro makes a face. “I don’t want him sitting in any more stains than he already has to…”

Sadayo opens her mouth, thinking to warn him of the rather fresh stains she’s seen on the couch while she was still pretending to be a maid, but decides better of it. “We’ll be careful, okay? C’mon, you’re the one who’s horny.” She squeezes his thigh again, smiling with pleasure at the slowly hardening cock pressing into the back of her hand.

“Oh, now I’m the horny one.” Sojiro stands, pulling Sadayo out of the booth and into a kiss. “You’re the pretty young thing here. All the old farts say you’re supposed to be the one pushing me for sex, you know.”

“Oh, you spend a lot of time talking to old farts about our sex life?” Sadayo drawls, taking him by the hand and leading him upstairs.

“My lips are sealed, I swear. They just start talking and talking and talking, and it’s not like I can throw out my regulars…” Sojiro sighs as Sadayo takes him to the cramped loveseat and sits him down. “You know, I’m beginning to think you have an oral fixation.”

“Not me.” Sadayo lies as she kneels between his legs, fiddling with his belt. “I just know guys love it. Besides, the couch might break if I got on top of you.”

Sojiro taps the couch next to him, springs squealing in protest. “It’s not  _ that _ old, is it…?”

“It’s pretty old.” Sadayo finally tugs his zipper open, rooting around for his half-erect cock until she finally frees it. Placing a finger at the tip, she rolls it around slightly. “Can we stay focused?”

“Yyyyyes.” Sojiro draws out the vowel, leaning his head back against the wall.

“Atta boy.” This isn’t their first time fooling around in the cafe, though it is the first time they’ve done so upstairs. Before this, the most she ever got out of him was letting her go down on him behind the bar.

Okay, maybe she has an oral fixation. It’s fine. She knows he enjoys it at least, and she definitely does, too. Really, it’s fine. Everybody’s got  _ something _ , she’s found through her now-former side work.

She wets her lips, taking his cock into her mouth with a smile. Head bobbing, she can already feel heat building in her leggings, a warmth that feels just fine in the spring chill. Oh, fine, she’s got an oral fixation. It’s not a big deal! Let her have her fun, jeez. She starts slow, swirling her tongue in one way and reversing course at random, making plenty of slurping noises for his benefit (and hers, if she’s honest). Probably the only nice thing about her old job was that she got to spend a lot of time on her knees. Of course, the quality of her partner made that more or less enjoyable, depending, but hey. They say doing what you love means you’ll never work a day in your life, right? 

Opening an eye, she watches Sojiro clench and unclench his hand on his thigh, flicking her gaze upwards to see him slack-jawed and breathing hard. It’s...nice, nicer than her old work. Seeing someone she gives a shit about blush and react to her is sweet, gives her a feeling like warm fuzzies right in her chest. Closing her eyes again to focus, she gives Sojiro’s cock a long, slow push downward until she’s as far as she can go before making an unbecoming slurping sound, sucking harder and pulling back the whole time until she releases him with a pop.

“Jesus  _ fuck,  _ Sadayo…” Sojiro grunts, both hands balled into fists against his thighs. His cock twitches madly when it’s free, hard and wet and so tantalizing.

“Ehehehe. Enjoying yourself?” Sadayo prods it with a finger, and Sojiro hisses through his teeth. “You know, you’re much more reactive than any other guy I’ve been with. Are big cocks just more sensitive?” She draws a finger along the side, curving under the head of his cock and swiping up a little dab of precum, licking it off her finger. “More nerve endings, maybe.” She stands, slipping out of her leggings and feeling gooseflesh prickle up on her thighs. The chill does nothing to quell the warmth between her thighs, the sticky wetness clinging to her skin. “C’mon, get up hon, I got an idea.”

“What…?” Sojiro takes her hand, and she leads him back down to the cafe, stopping at the booth with her schoolwork still spread out over it. “Oh, hang on…”

“What, are you chicken?” She spreads her legs wide, pulling her panties aside and laying across the table, her ass facing him. “I’ve always wanted to do this, c’mon!”

“What about a condom?”

“Oh my god, live in the moment!” She throws a glare back at him over her shoulder until he relents.

“Alright, alright. Don’t blame me for anything that happens, though…” Sojiro grouses, putting hands on her hips and resting his cock against her ass. She practically quivers in anticipation, the only thing keeping her in place are his hands and her grip on the table. It’s such a weird thing, but Sadayo’s grown to appreciate Sojiro fucking her, lately. People go for all sorts of weird shit when they request a call girl, but the agency always made it abundantly clear that anyone trying to penetrate one of the girls would not receive services in the future. It was...almost frustrating, somehow? If you spend 2 hours doing blowing a guy and giving him a thigh job or whatever but don’t get off at the end, you just go home full of hormones and pissed off about it. She used to go through vibrators like candy! Having Sojiro around has been a  _ very _ welcome respite for her hand and her having to be the weird lady buying batteries at the  _ konbini _ at 3am. It definitely helps that he usually goes along with whatever hare-brained idea she comes up with when they do it. Getting to  _ choose _ how she gets to fuck someone after spending 2 years getting told to suck cock and finger people’s asses or whatever their kink of the night is feels unbelievably good.

Nothing ever really prepares her for when he bottoms out in her, though. Good god, the real thing is so much better than she remembers, every time. She doesn’t even bother to suppress her moan of pleasure, her face pressed to the back of a stack of tests. She’s had her own share of experience with men over the years even outside her ‘service’ work, but honestly, none of them come close to Sojiro on any measure. Caring, infinitely kind, funny as hell, handsome as  _ fuck _ , good with kids? The rest of 40+ Tokyo doesn’t know what they’re missing out on.

Plus he gives her dick exactly how she wants it, with only minimal complaint. Now  _ that _ makes him a keeper.

“You okay?” Sojiro pats her hip, leaning around her to get a look at her face.

“Yep! Fine! You can move now!” She releases the table to give him a shaky thumbs-up aimed somewhere behind her, turning her head the other direction so he doesn’t see her scrunched-up, very red face. Okay, maybe he’s a little too caring, sometimes. It’s an asset when it comes to everything but getting him to go all out when they’re fucking. Yeah, okay, her expression looks kind of complicated, but it really does feel good, alright? Just go for it, let the beast out and fuck her like an animal, damn it!

Sadayo says a small prayer to whatever deity watches couples over 40 fuck when Sojiro starts moving, the position she’s placed herself in letting him go as far into her pussy as physiology and common sense will let anyone. And boy does he go for it, hitting all sorts of new, hard-to-reach sensitive spots that Sadayo never even truly knew existed. Clinging to the table for leverage, her feet planted as well as she can manage, Sadayo is fully at Sojiro’s mercy and loving every moment of it. With her head turned the other way now, she realizes they never even closed the shades on the door, their ridiculous position fully on display for anyone who might happen to walk by in the afternoon twilight. Oh, oh oh oh oh...even just thinking about it sends a shiver of thrill up her spine, making her clench his cock even harder when she imagines getting found like this, caught in the act and so deliciously compromised.

“Oh, god...damn it, you’re ridiculous, you know that?” Sojiro grunts between thrusts, fingers digging into her ass for purchase, his shoes scuffling on the floor. “Christ, Sadayo, you’re unbelievable.”

“Harder…” She moans, shoving herself back a little bit into his cock with his next thrust. “Sojiroooo, fucking hit me!”

“ _ What? _ ”

“Slap my ass, whatever! Just do it hard! I’m so fucking close, ohhhh  _ fuck _ …” She presses her head to the table, watching papers go sliding off the table as Sojiro redoubles his efforts. When his hand claps against her ass, she yelps even as every bit of her tenses against him, pleasure radiating from every centimeter of newly-blossoming redness. “Oh my god, again, Sojiro, fuck fuck fuck, I’m gonna, haaaaaaah, I’m gonna—” The second slap overlapping the first hitting right as he thrusts one last time sends her over the edge, an explosion of physical sensation that whites out everything else. She cries out, rocking against the table’s edge as Sojiro slows down, hitting that same spot that drove her past the edge over and over again until he tenses too, going utterly silent as he comes inside her, adding a new source of heat to the bonfire between her legs.

“Shit…” Sojiro mutters under his breath, sliding out of her and groaning. “My damn back is killing me. You okay, darling?”

“Never better.” Sadayo slurs, rolling off of the table and onto the seat. “Fuck, that was good. That one’s a keeper.” She slips her panties back into place, making a note to hit the bathroom before going to bed.

“Oh, no you don’t. I’m gonna be paying for that for weeks.” Sojiro pulls her upright, groaning. “Come on, we’re going to bed.”

“Alright, alright.” Sadayo gets to her wobbly feet, picking up her leggings and very carefully stepping back into them. “You’re gonna sleep like a baby, I bet, working that hard.”

“Or I’m gonna be up all night crying. Feels like I got clipped by a delivery truck…”

“Okay, okay, come on.” Sojiro slips an arm under his armpit, throwing one of his over her shoulder. “Off to bed with us.”

* * *

As spring blooms into summer, Sadayo can’t get her mind off Futaba. It’s been months of her hanging around, getting to know Sojiro well, and Akira better than she could have ever imagined, and she hasn’t seen anything but old photos of Futaba. And she’s never even seen the girl herself in person! It’s gnawing at her. Every time she comes over, Sojiro practically shushes her as they walk into the house, right past Futaba’s door. She’s even seen Sojiro talk to her on the phone, heard the faintest bits of her voice during those conversations, and still she knows nothing about the kid. Sojiro’s no help, either. Every time she brings it up...well…

“I want to meet Futaba, Sojiro.” She tries one early summer night, looking up from the test she was grading in her favorite booth. One of her students name reminded her of the mysterious girl, for whatever reason.

“Where’s this coming from?” Sojiro raises an eyebrow, setting down the cup he was wiping dry.

“You know where it’s coming from. It’s been months, and I know nothing about your daughter! It bothers me, you know?”

“I...don’t think it’s a good idea.” Sojiro picks up his cup, wiping it down further. “She’s very sensitive, and I don’t want to upset her.”

Sadayo groans, glaring at Sojiro. “You’re such a dad. How is meeting her guardian’s girlfriend going to upset her?”

“It’s complicated.” Sojiro’s expression hardens when she raises an eyebrow at him. “I was...involved with her mother, back in the day. She passed 2 years ago in a traffic collision, and I adopted her after her uncle got caught abusing her.”

“Involved with as in—” Sadayo’s eyebrow goes higher.  
“No, no. I’m not her biological father. We worked together, that’s all. Government job. I...well, I babysat a lot.”

“Ah, a theoretical physicist babysitter. For the government. Right.” The holes in his story of his old job are a mile wide, but she’s not interested in pressing him on it. Whatever he used to do is in the past, as far as she’s concerned. “So you think meeting the girl her not-dad is fucking will mess her up worse than that did?”

“I don’t  _ know _ , Sadayo, that’s the problem!” He slams the cup down on the counter, growling. “I can barely tell what goes through her head on a good day, I don’t know what she’ll think if I start introducing you and you start talking to her. Christ, I haven’t even let Akira meet her! You think I’m happy making him sleep in the loft? I’d bring him home in a second if I knew it wasn’t going to make her...fuck, I don’t know.” Sojiro deflates, the directionless anger burning out of him almost immediately. “I just...I don’t want to hurt her any worse than she’s already been hurt.”

“Sojiro.” Sadayo scoots into the booth, patting the seat next to her. “Come here. We can be adults about this, alright?”

He sighs, crossing to her seat and sitting down next to her and putting his hands on the table. “Okay. I’m being an adult. Now what?”

“I call you an idiot.” Sadayo places her hand over his. “Sojiro, you’re so worried about things getting worse that you’re afraid of taking any steps to make her better. She’s a shut-in right now, and it sounds like she’s barely coping as it is. She needs help, proper care to help her accept what happened.” She holds up a finger when Sojiro opens his mouth. “I do  _ not _ mean you giving her up. You’re trying your best, and I know you can be the person she needs, but a happy life is gonna take more than just you can give her. So let me help.”

“How? Where do we even start?”

“Getting her out of her room is a good start. We’ll figure out getting her treatment once we can get her to a doctor without traumatizing her.”

“How do you propose we do that?”

Sadayo shrugs. “We’ll figure something out. Talking works, mostly.”

Sojiro nods, staring down at her hand over his. “You’re pretty good at this, you know. You’d make a good teacher.”

Sadayo snorts, thinking back to just about 2 years ago. “...Hey. Before you agree to do this, I should tell you something. It’s. It’s important.”

“What is it?” He looks up to her, eyebrow arched.

“I...the reason I’m in debt is because a student of mine died. It’s…” She pauses, searching for the right word. “I’m liable. He was struggling, I tutored him outside school hours, I was...told to stop by the school. He dropped out after that, then he died. I tried to help him, but I made things worse in the end. His family demanded compensation, and I paid them in full. The loan sharks helped.”

“Did you help him? Before the school made you stop.”

“Maybe. I don’t know. He was happier, I think.” She pauses again, biting her tongue. “I try not to think about it.”

“It sounds like you did your best, before someone else made things much worse. I can’t believe someone would still demand  _ mimaikin _ in this day and age, especially of someone not even at fault...But it’s in the past. They’re not demanding any more money, yeah?”

“No. Sojiro, listen to me. If I hadn’t fucked up, given up on him, he’d still be—” Burning tears well in her eyes, and she blinks them away.

“Sadayo.” Sojiro cuts her off, voice stern. “You didn’t do a damn thing wrong. That family’s lucky you were kind enough to help their son when he needed it. I won’t buy any horseshit that tries to say otherwise from you or anyone else.” He pulls his hand from under hers, brushing tears from her cheek with a thumb. “None of that changes a thing. Sadayo, I would be honored to have your help with Futaba. I know nobody else in the world would put her heart and soul into it the way you would.”

“Fuck.” Sadayo whispers, leaning against Sojiro’s hand. “You’re too nice, you know that? How am I supposed to say no to that.”

“You can say no, you know. I’m not gonna force you to help my daughter.”

Sadayo wipes her eyes, smiling softly. “Were you listening? I helped that kid because I wanted to. I want to help Futaba, too.”

* * *

She doesn’t even try to go to Sojiro’s house for a week after their talk.

Digging out her childhood development books from their long-forgotten perch on her bookshelf, Sadayo throws herself into preparing herself for whatever might happen when the rubber hits the road. More books are ordered online, and through the early summer break Sadayo spends most of her days at Leblanc, reading in one of the booths and occasionally helping when the influx of kids (when did Akira start making  _ multiple  _ friends? And such eclectic ones, like the student council president and poor Ann Takamaki?) grows too high for Sojiro to keep up with. They talk about it, too, in quiet moments. What Futaba likes, as far as Sojiro can tell. What she hates. Topics they can try to use to draw her out. Video games, computers, so on and so on.

And finally, on the hottest day of the summer, Sadayo goes to Sojiro’s house and sits down outside Futaba’s room, back against the wall opposite it. “Hi, Futaba.” She starts. No response, only the faint buzz of a fan running somewhere in the house. She almost thinks she can hear the sound of a keyboard, but maybe that’s just wishful thinking. “I’m Sadayo Kawakami. Sojiro’s a...good friend of mine.” She pauses to give Futaba time to speak, if she really wants to. She doesn’t. “I’m a teacher. I teach Akira, actually. I wanted to talk to you, too.”

Her phone buzzes in her bag. Curious, she digs it out and finds a LINE notification from a phone number with an unreadable country code.

**Why?**

“Is this you, Futaba?” Her phone buzzes in her hand.

**Yeah. You shouldn’t bother.**

“Okay, great.” Sadayo murmurs under her breath. “I’m not here to do anything, Futaba. I just want to get to know you.”

**I said you shouldn’t bother. Take a hint.**

Sadayo sighs, climbing to her feet. “Okay. I’ll leave you alone for now. Have a good night, Futaba.” Her phone buzzes in her hand as she stuffs it back into her bag, the screen lighting up with a single notification.

**Whatever.**

* * *

Sadayo finds herself puzzling over the hardest question she’s ever had to face: how do you get a teen girl who clearly hates you to come out of her room?

Bribe her? With what, exactly? She’s clearly got some talent with computers, but Sojiro’s spoiled her with everything she could ever want in that room, and anything she doesn’t have she can order off the internet. Trying to coax her out with sweets seems too stupid, and given how vociferous her response to Sadayo even talking to her was that would definitely end in disaster.

Akira has been so much easier to coax back out. The difference there, she’s realized, is that Akira  _ wanted _ help. He didn’t want to believe that all adults were awful, would so thoroughly abandon him like his family did following his conviction. Christ, thinking about Akira’s situation makes her furious still. What kind of awful family disowns their only son for a blatantly false assault conviction? Have you even been in the same room as your son in the last year?

Ugh.

Sadayo sits up from the book she drifted off from reading, yawning and snapping it shut.

“Coffee?” Akira calls from the counter, doing his best Sojiro impression from the bar.

“Please.” She stands and stretches with a groan and a chorus of joints popping. When Akira comes around the bar with the coffee, she takes it and sips. “Thanks.” Suppressing a sigh, she has a thought watching Akira smile gently at her. “Sit with me for a minute?”

“Okay.” He sits opposite her, tilting his head to read the title of her now-closed book. “20 Tips For Talking To Your Teen. Surefire Ways To Help Them Open Up. Is this an intervention?”

“No, no.” Sadayo can’t help but laugh, covering her mouth. “You’re fine. This is about Futaba.”

“Oh.” Akira scratches his cheek. “I...hmm.”

“What?”

“She’s...really mad at you.” Akira smiles nervously.

“Oh, believe me, I know.” Sadayo rests her cheek in her hand. “How do you know that, though?”

Akira flinches under her gaze. “She...we talk, a little. On LINE. She heard my name from Sojiro, messages me occasionally.”

“Is she always that...prickly?”

“Yeah. She was criticizing my choice of classic Famblycom games last time I talked to her.”

“Huh.”

“Yeah. She was saying Star Forneus is a garbage shooter, and Gladius is way better.” He rubs his neck, like Futaba’s a pain in it. “She’s kind of opinionated and loud, honestly.”

“How do you get loud over a text message?”

“Capital letters. It’s a teen thing.” Akira rolls his eyes. “I think you just need to appeal to things she likes. Show you’re not trying to make her do anything, I guess. You’re not trying to make her do anything, right?”

“Well…” Sadayo sighs. “I just want her to not feel like she has to be alone in the world to survive it. I know that feeling way better than anyone should, and I think she does too.” She straightens up, getting to her feet. “I’m going to Akihabara. I guess i’m gonna go find a Gladius cartridge?”

“And a Famblycom. I’m not letting you borrow mine, it took me 2 hours to get it hooked up right on that ancient TV.” He laughs when Sadayo rolls her eyes at him. “Sorry, mom.” Akira blinks when he says it, like he’s surprised with himself. “I—”

“Don’t you dare.” She levels a finger at him, scrunching up her face to hide the strange feeling of warmth hearing that gave her. ‘I’m not even old enough to be your mother, damn it…” She mutters as she gathers her things off the table.

* * *

Replying to the strange messages Futaba sent her the other day doesn’t seem to work, so Sadayo comes by the day after, a bag fresh from a small electronics shop dangling from her elbow. “Futaba? It’s me, Sadayo? We talked the other day.”

**What part of ‘go away’ was hard for you to understand? I thought you were a teacher.** Sadayo glances at the phone in her other hand, rolling her eyes.

“I’ve got a peace offering. I’m going to leave it by the door, and go outside. It’s yours.” She pulls out the Gladius cartridge, setting it on the floor with an audible clack and heading back out the front door. She waits, leaning against the door and watching her phone until it buzzes again.

**What the hell is this?**

Stepping back inside, Sadayo takes up her previous spot opposite Futaba’s door. “I heard you liked it better than Star Forneus.”

**I don’t have a Famblycom. Or a TV. Idiot.**

“But I do. And Sojiro has a TV in the living room. I figure it might be a fun way to waste an afternoon.”

**Whatever. I can just emulate it on my PC, I downloaded the ROM months ago. Nice job wasting your money, though.**

Ok, like half of that went way over her head, but...The shop owner had been delighted to see someone taking an interest in the classics. Went on and on about the authentic Gladius experience as it was made to be played back in the 80s.

“You’ll miss out on the real thing, that way.” Sadayo bites her tongue, weighing if she should lay her cards on the table or not. Does she truly understand Futaba deeply enough to see what’s going on in her head from just this and Sojiro’s vague explanation? If this doesn’t work, it might be all over. But...at least then, she can say she tried. Abandoning someone isn’t in Sadayo anymore. If she fails, so be it. “Look. I get it, if you’ve given up on people. With what you’ve been through, I would have, too. Hell, I did.”

**Don’t try to tell me how I feel.**

“I’m just telling you how I felt, not too long ago. I...someone I cared about died. It was my fault, or I thought that at the time. I was forced into doing things I never would have done otherwise. To hide who I was from the world. It sucked.” She swallows hard, forcing down tears.

**Welcome to the party.**

“Yeah. But you know what? It was awful, but it’s over. Your brother Akira helped me, and Sojiro helped me, and I helped myself. Things are okay, now. And maybe they’ll get better, with time. But right now, you’re a stopped clock, Futaba. Nothing can change while you’re in this static world you’ve built for yourself.”

**Whatever. Just take your stupid game and go. I hate Gladius, anyway. Gladius 2 was better.** The door opens, a pale hand holding out the cartridge through the tiniest gap. Sadayo takes it and the arm withdraws, the door slamming shut with it. Releasing a breath, she walks into the living area, setting the Famblycom on the floor and sitting down next to it and covering her eyes with a hand. 

Breathe, Sadayo. It’s fine. You just opened up to a 15 year old girl and she didn’t give a shit. Are you really that surprised? Still, though, that doesn’t stop the tears, as ridiculous as they feel. A strangled laugh at how stupid she’s being becomes a sob, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. Why did she think that would work? They’re nothing alike! A tragic death and feeling isolated doesn’t actually make you an expert on how a child could feel to lose her mother right in front of her eyes. Your stupid struggle to survive under a debt that nearly killed you isn’t anywhere in the same league as the suddenly orphaned girl who got bounced from uncle to aunt and who knows where else, treated like the worst garbage. No amount of doting foster fathers and well-meaning teachers can make that okay. None of that could even give her a reason to try to fix her life. Futaba probably thinks all of this isolation is what she deserves, no less and no more.

Fuck.

Her phone buzzes on the wood floor where it fell from her bag, the screen lighting up.

**Are you crying?**

**Cut it out. I wasn’t even that mean.**

**Seriously, stop. People crying makes me cry, too.**

Sadayo picks up her phone.

**Sorry.**

**It’s my fault. It’s always my fault, okay?**

**That’s why people shouldn’t be around me.**

**That’s not true.**

**I MADE YOU CRY! It’s 100% true.**

**You didn’t make me cry. I made me cry.**

**I should go. I’m bothering you.**

**Hey, hang on.**

**Ok, look. What if.**

**I just came out to play Gladius. That’s all.**

**No talking about bad stuff. Just games.**

**Promise?**

**Promise.**

**And help me set this thing up. I can barely work a normal TV as it is.**

**Psh, easy.**

The door in the hallway slides open, and Sadayo can hear bare feet on the hardwood. Futaba Sakura peeks around the corner into the room, the only parts of her exposed are her head of bright orange hair and dark brown eyes. What little she can see of the girl’s skin is deathly pale. “Hey.”

Sadayo climbs to her feet, picking up the electronics bag. “Hi, Futaba. Here.”

“Sweet.” Futaba dashes around the corner, grabbing the bag and dumping it out on the floor in front of Sojiro’s simple TV display set against the wall. She’s dressed in a ratty, threadbare tee with an ancient Featherman logo on both sides that Sadayo realizes she recognizes from her own childhood and a pair of track pants, ragged at the bottoms. When Futaba stands from plugging things in, she realizes the shirt is too short for her, exposing a thin line of equally pale skin between it and her waistband.

“Does Sojiro buy you new clothes?”

“Yeah, but I like this shirt. I thought I said no bad stuff talk.” Futaba drags the controller over to where Sadayo is standing, sitting down. “We’ll trade off on every death, okay?”

“Sojiro isn’t bad.” Sadayo sits again, watching the screen. “You’re going to have to tell me what to do, I haven’t played anything like this since I was your age.”

“Yeah, yeah. Watch a master at work, and all will become clear.” Futaba cracks her knuckles, picking up the blocky controller and hammering on buttons. The screen blooms in explosions, the little ship Futaba seems to be piloting firing wildly at little pixelated blocks and dodging shots from the right side of the screen. Watching the game, Sadayo finds herself marveling at Futaba instead. The girl Sojiro had shown her was still in elementary school, with her little red backpack and dark brown hair worn up in a little imitation of her mother’s own ponytail.

“Fuck! Damn it, I forgot that pattern, ugh. Okay, next life, let’s goooooo!” Futaba cheers, punching the air with one hand while she dodges more shot patterns. Well, she’s grown a little since then, that much is obvious. “Shit! Man, this game is hard as hell, no wonder people still whine about when they’re gonna make a new one.” She holds the controller out to Sadayo. “C’mon, let’s see what the last generation’s got.”

“Last generation?” Sadayo scoffs, squinting at Futaba until the girl grins cheekily. “I’ll show you what your elders can do!”

She gets creamed almost instantly. Futaba explodes into peals of laughter, clutching her chest and falling backwards. “Oh my fuckin’ god! Haaaaaahahahahahahaha!”

“Come on, I was warming up!” Sadayo twists to face Futaba, and hears another explosion sound behind her. When she turns back, the Lives counter in the corner of the screen reads a big fat **0** and **GAME OVER** is hanging right in the middle.

“Ahahaha! You wasted your only extra life, too! Oh man, what a noob!” Futaba cackles, kicking her feet in the air.

“And what the hell does  _ that _ even mean?”

“It means—” Futaba sits up, crossing her legs and wiping tears from her eyes. “It means you suck, Ms. Whatever.”

“Kawakami, my name is— Ugh. Arguing with a teen, it’s like I’m in class.” Sadayo shakes her head, holding out the controller. “Here, your turn.”

“Nah. You get another one. Old folks get a handicap, or you’d never get to play at all! That’s no fun, right?” Futaba grins.

“Jeez, getting talked down to, too. You’re lucky I love Sojiro enough to put up with you.” Sadayo turns back to the screen, selecting  **CONTINUE** .

“Gross.” Sadayo can see Futaba stick her tongue out in disgust out of the corner of her eye.

* * *

They try that for awhile.

Sojiro isn’t told, holding off for his own sake more than anything. Futaba doesn’t want him freaking out over her, and Sadayo worries that him freaking out over her will send her scurrying back into her room for good. Sadayo picks up a few more games, though. They do end up borrowing Akira’s copy of Star Forneus, eventually, with both Futaba and Sadayo agreeing it’s actually the superior game to Gladius, even if Gladius II is better than both of them. Sadayo is terrible at most of them, but it’s fun. The week goes by quickly, the end of summer vacation so very close. Towards the end of her last week off, Sadayo brings by a freshly bought DVD and a suspicious plastic bag to Sojiro’s house.

“Alright, lady, what have you got?” Futaba’s sitting on the low couch in the living room, wearing that same threadbare Featherman Phoenix R shirt. She wears it almost every day Sadayo’s seen her, actually.

“A present.” She holds out the bag. “Take a look.” Futaba accepts it, rifling through the plastic and holding up a freshly washed Featherman Phoenix ZR shirt. Futaba’s eyes go wide in shock when she looks to Sadayo and sees the Featherman Phoenix ZR: Zen of Revival Movie Special DVD in her hands. “They just did the 25th anniversary crossover movie, and...well, I loved Phoenix R too, back in the day, so I figured you might like watching it. It’s got the R team working with the Z team to fight Dai-Dai-Dai-Shucker.” She holds it out to Futaba, who takes the case with shaking hands.

“I…” Futaba swallows, eyes watering and locked on the DVD. “I only ever watched Phoenix R with Mom.” All the color drains from Sadayo’s face.

“Oh, god, Futaba, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know.” Sadayo sits down next to Futaba, watching her. “You don’t have to take it. I can take it back, this doesn’t—” Futaba’s hands fall to her lap, the DVD still clutched in her hands. 

“We fought that morning. I was being a brat, didn’t want to go to the doctor. She bribed me, said we’d go to Junes and look at the Featherman display.” Tears run down her face, and she sniffles loudly. “She bought me a shirt, and I was yelling for her to give it to me while we were heading back to the station, and she turned when the crosswalk turned green and handed it to me. And she started walking, but the guy in the truck was asleep at the wheel and he hit her.” Futaba drops the DVD case, covering her face with her hands. “I killed my mom. She died because of me. She called me impossible right before that. She must have hated me.”

Fuck. What do you even say to that? Sadayo pauses, trying to come up with anything but empty platitudes. “Your mother loved you. People get frustrated all the time, but that doesn’t make it so that love stops. And it’s not your fault.”

Futaba’s hands withdraw from her face, the tears slowing. Sadayo wipes one away from her cheek, and Futaba doesn’t react. “We wouldn’t have even been there if I hadn’t been a bitch to her. It’s my fault. I ruin people’s lives just being around them.” She speaks with a bitter tone unlike everything Sadayo’s heard her use before.

“Who told you that?”

“My uncle. He made my life hell, because I ruined Mom’s life and then his.”

“You didn’t ruin Sojiro’s life. You’ve been here 2 years, right? He’s fine.”

“I locked myself up so I couldn’t hurt Sojiro, too. I’m—”

Sadayo cuts in. “That’s bullshit. Futaba, you haven’t hurt  _ anyone. _ Your uncle was a fucking prick who was looking for an excuse to abuse a little girl, that’s all. If you had been perfect he would have blamed you making him look bad.” The faces of the family of her student flash by, no grief evident, only indignant anger. “People like him always find a reason.” Futaba falls silent, closing her eyes. Sadayo reaches out, pulling Futaba into a hug. “I’m sorry your life has been so hard, Futaba. You don’t deserve it.” Futaba doesn’t speak. “Do you want me to go?” She shakes her head, slowly, orange hair draping across her face and hiding her expression. “Do you want to do anything?”

“...The movie.” Futaba whispers. “I wanna see it.”

“Ok. I’m gonna get up, but I’m not leaving, okay?” Futaba nods, and Sadayo releases her, taking the DVD case from her lap and putting it in the TV. When she turns around, Futaba is straightening out the new shirt on her torso; she must have changed while Sadayo had her back turned. It’s too big for her, but she looks content with it, cradling the old shirt against her chest. When Sadayo sits back down, Futaba leans against her as the opening credits run.

Neither of them says anything for the duration of the movie.

Futaba falls asleep as the end credits roll, her head lolling. Sadayo lets her down easily, lowering her head onto one of the couch pillows Sadayo had been hanging onto during the movie. She’d never expected to get invested in a suit action movie of all things, but it had taken all of her control not to scare the shit out of Futaba with a war-whoop of joy when the R team did their old finishing move, the Revival Phoenix Rush. The house is quiet and still around them, and Sadayo sighs softly to herself, brushing hair out of Futaba’s face.

She knows nothing is solved right now. Not for Futaba, not for Akira, not for Sojiro and not for herself. But...God, this feels like a big step forward. A few weeks ago she wouldn’t even open the door for anything but food or the bathroom. Now, this. It’s not a fix, not by a long shot. Futaba’s probably got years of therapy ahead of her, to untangle the mess her mother’s death and her uncle’s monstrous abuse made of her, but it’s a start. Maybe she can find somewhere safe to express herself again.

“Hello? Who left the TV on…” Sojiro mumbles to himself from down the hall. When he walks into view of the living room and locks eyes on Sadayo on the couch, he completely freezes, jaw dropping. Sadayo raises a finger to her lips, nodding to the spot on the couch next to her. Sojiro walks over as quietly as he can manage, sitting down and wincing at the squeak of couch springs under him. “ _ What happened? How? _ ” He whispers, leaning around Sadayo to look at his daughter.

“Long story.” Sadayo whispers back, smiling. “She’s a good kid.”

“...Yeah. She is.” Sojiro reaches past her, brushing the back of his fingers against her cheek, as if he’s testing if she is truly there. Futaba stirs then, mumbling nonsense and stretching. “Hey, Futaba. Sorry.”

Futaba stifles a yawn, sitting up. “What are you apologizing for?”

“I didn’t mean to wake you up. Are you okay?” He looks at the threadbare shirt wrapped around one of her hands, the new Featherman shirt she’s wearing.

“Yeah. We watched a movie. It was alright, I guess. Kinda made me want to watch the old R series again.” Futaba yawns, stretching her arms over her head.

“I think I still have the old VHS tapes somewhere. If you want to.” Sadayo offers. Futaba looks sleepy, but nods happily. “Ok. I’ll bring them by some other time.”

“Can I go to bed, now? I’m sleepy.” Futaba suppresses a yawn, standing.

“Yeah, you should go. I want to talk to Sadayo more.” Sojiro says. When Sadayo looks over at him, she can see something twinkling in his eye.

“Ok. Goodnight…” Futaba walks off with a halfhearted wave, and the two adults sit in silence until they hear her door shut. Sojiro has a fistful of his pants in one hand that he releases when they hear it, exhaling shakily.

“Never thought I’d see the day.” He shakes his head, laughing under his breath. “I thought this would just be her life, until something happened. I...I’m glad it was you that happened, and not something else.”

“Gee, thanks. I know what you mean, though.” Sadayo smiles, and Sojiro returns it in kind.

“How did you even do it? I feel like I’d tried everything.”

“Well. I said what I would have wanted to hear, back before I met Akira. I guess some of it was more universal than I thought.”

Sojiro sighs, leaning against Sadayo’s shoulder with his own. “I feel like my heart stopped when I walked in here. I’m not dead, are I?”

“Don’t even joke. C’mon, you’re probably as beat as she was. Let’s just go to bed.” Sadayo gets to her feet, joints popping angrily as she rises. “God, remind me never to sit for a 3 hour movie.”

Sojiro grunts an affirmative as he stands. “What are we going to do now?”

“Go about our lives. Help Futaba figure out what kind of life she wants to have. Help Akira do the same. Parent stuff.”

“You say that like you’re staying.”

“Were you planning on going somewhere?” Sadayo arches an eyebrow at his back as they climb the stairs.

“No.” Sojiro stops at the door to his bedroom.

“Then I’ll be right here, whenever you need me.” She leans up, kissing him softly. “As long as you’ll have me.”

* * *

“Hey, Sojiro! Closing up already?” Sojiro turns to see one of his regular customers waving from across the street. He smiles, waving back.

“Short day today. A man has to spend  _ some _ time with his family, after all!” Sojiro grins when the man nods and gives him a thumbs up, heading down the street. The autumn chill is giving way to actual cold, and he pulls his coat a little tighter around his chest. Futaba stands from her squatted position next to the door, teeth chattering.

“Took you long enough. I’m freezing.” Sojiro gives a meaningful look to her bare legs and the gigantic coat she’s wearing, raising an eyebrow. “What! I just shaved at long last, I wanna show off!”

“You really didn’t have to wait with me, you could have been inside by now.”

“I wanted to wait with you.” Futaba pouts, frowning.

“Don’t blame me if you come down with something, then.” Sojiro tucks his hands in his jacket pockets, heading down to the movie theater. Futaba falls in line alongside him, subconsciously mirroring his stance with her hands in her pockets. At the corner, they can see Sadayo and Akira waiting outside the movie theater. The theater is doing a special one-time-only marathon of Featherman Phoenix R, in glorious standard definition blown up on a huge screen. Futaba told everyone she’s positive they have to just be showing the DVD copy hooked up to a projector, but even that caveat does nothing to dampen her enthusiasm. She runs ahead, slugging Akira on the shoulder and laughing when he winces, taking the tub of popcorn from him and stuffing a fistful in her mouth. They both walk inside while Sadayo waits for Sojiro, her arms folded across her chest and a wry grin on her face.

“We finally get her outside and she’s hitting people and stealing. We may have to send her to middle school again if she keeps this up.” Sojiro quips as he steps under the awning with her.

“Oh, she’s fine. Girlish enthusiasm, maybe.” Sadayo brushes it off, unfolding her arms and looping one of hers around his, linking hands in his jacket pocket. “C’mon. Let’s go, before your kids eat all the popcorn.”

Sojiro nods, heading into the theater with his family.


End file.
